After Hours

Desktop Toys: The Climbatron REX Robot Explorer

By // November 27, 2006, 6:22 AM PST // markwkaelin

Image 1 of 10

  • The holiday season is approaching fast. In fact, it seems to approach faster every year. For those of you in the giving spirit around the office, it can be difficult to find that special gift for the person on the other side of the cubicle wall. It cannot be too expensive and it should reflect a certain amount of lightheartedness and fun. I mean, after all, gift giving in an office environment is really about generating smiles and feelings of goodwill with your co-workers.
    With that spirit in mind, TechRepublic has acquired several inexpensive yet tasteful and useful desktop toys for review. One of these fine gadgets or gizmos should appeal to even the most difficult to buy for in your office.
    Next on our gift list is the Climb@tron REX Robot Explorer courtesy of KlearGear.com.

    Check out the Geekend blog for a video of the robot in action.

    &copy CNET Networks, Inc.
    Mark W. Kaelin

  • The Robot Explorer is impressive in its packaging. It would definitely attract the attention of most little boys or at least the little boy inside us all.

    &copy CNET Networks, Inc.
    Mark W. Kaelin

  • REX comes in ultra-cool colors like magnesium blue, cobalt black, and graphite grey. Blue, black and grey --- not sure that constitutes ultra cool colors in my book, but they are colors suitable for a robot I guess. Besides it has retractable suction-cup feet, which is way cool.

    &copy CNET Networks, Inc.
    Mark W. Kaelin

  • You probably can't read the fine print, but there are all kinds of warnings and disclaimers in the instructions. I find the warning not to let the robot climb out of your reach particularly humorous.

    &copy CNET Networks, Inc.
    Mark W. Kaelin

  • It does look cool. A nice addition to any geek decorated desktop.

    &copy CNET Networks, Inc.
    Mark W. Kaelin

  • Laser beams would have been a nice touch. And the front area (blue) should have an LED in it.

    &copy CNET Networks, Inc.
    Mark W. Kaelin

  • The wonderful physics of suction cups. Imagine how much engineering effort went into developing this robot. Each cup has to support the robot's weight and a mechanism for releasing each cup as it crawls up a window is ingenious.

    &copy CNET Networks, Inc.
    Mark W. Kaelin

  • Of course batteries are not included.

    &copy CNET Networks, Inc.
    Mark W. Kaelin

  • On a window and ready to rock and roll.

    &copy CNET Networks, Inc.
    Mark W. Kaelin

  • Up, up and away. But not out of reach of course.

    I must say I was pleasantly surprised by how well the Climb@tron window walking robot worked. It climbed up every window I put it on. It would be a very nice inexpensive gift for any toy loving office cohort. However, make note it is extremely loud --- you can't run it all day long, at least not without disturbing your co-workers.

    &copy CNET Networks, Inc.
    Mark W. Kaelin

The holiday season is approaching fast. In fact, it seems to approach faster every year. For those of you in the giving spirit around the office, it can be difficult to find that special gift for the person on the other side of the cubicle wall. It cannot be too expensive and it should reflect a certain amount of lightheartedness and fun. I mean, after all, gift giving in an office environment is really about generating smiles and feelings of goodwill with your co-workers.
With that spirit in mind, TechRepublic has acquired several inexpensive yet tasteful and useful desktop toys for review. One of these fine gadgets or gizmos should appeal to even the most difficult to buy for in your office.
Next on our gift list is the Climb@tron REX Robot Explorer courtesy of KlearGear.com.

Check out the Geekend blog for a video of the robot in action.

&copy CNET Networks, Inc.
Mark W. Kaelin

Related Topics:

After Hours Innovation Hardware Tech & Work

About Mark Kaelin

Mark W. Kaelin has been writing and editing stories about the IT industry, gadgets, finance, accounting, and tech-life for more than 25 years. Most recently, he has been a regular contributor to BreakingModern.com, aNewDomain.net, and TechRepublic.